Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Bonds good fit for Padres? No way!

In a column titled “A King Without a Kingdom,” Cliff Corcoran of Sports Illustrated says Barry Bonds would best fit with the Padres among all the teams in Major League Baseball.

Pleeeeeeeeaaassssssssssseeee!

OK, so the man with deteriorating skills and a perjury charge facing him in court is the all-time home run leader.

Other than that, he’s the definition of class without the “cl,” a clubhouse cancer, a trouble maker, etc. etc.

So, how would that be for a harmonious Padres’ clubhouse on a team that traditionally overachieves because of its unity?

Here’s what Corcoran had to say about Bonds and the Padres:

The Padres came painfully close to the post-season last year, giving them something to prove. They also have a gaping hole in left field, which is currently occupied by Scott Hairston. The drag here is that Bonds is a career .195/.405/.390 hitter in San Diego's pitcher-friendly Petco Park. Still, the Padres, who have taken a less controversial but also far less favorable chance with Jim Edmonds in center, seem more likely to sign Bonds than the other teams that could best use him (the Angels, Braves, D'backs, Indians, and Mets), and would benefit more than other the three teams (Texas, Houston, and Seattle) that seem most likely to give him a shot. Signing in San Diego would also keep Bonds in California and out of an intense local media spotlight. San Diego seems like the best destination for Bonds despite his past struggles in Petco. Should he land there, he'll undoubtedly tip the balance of power in the division, but then, he'll do that no matter where he plays this year.

The Petco Park argument alone should eliminate Bonds from consideration for the Padres. Not only is he a poor hitter at Petco, but could you imagine him trying to cover that vast expanse in left field at the downtown stadium with his bad knees?

He’s trouble, he’s hurt, he’s probably going to have his day in court, and he’s ineffective at Petco Park.

Those are among the myriad of reasons why the Padres should not consider signing Bonds.

If the Padres sign Barry Bonds they will be taking a major step backwards. Their biggest asset the last few years has not be an abudance of talent but a good cohesive clubhouse with everyone pulling toward the same goal; not pulling toward one person's goal increasing his home run record. And there is no way he can cover left field at Petco no way at all.

I still think he's worth the risk for 100 games or so. Should produce much more than our current options there. I wouldn't sign him for more than a year even it were a possibility. I think it could be a very shrewd move by the Padres. Then next offseason they'd have more to spend with Giles, Edmonds and Maddux off the books.